Freescale Announces Qi- and PMA-Compliant Wireless Charging Technology for Tablets

Freescale Semiconductor announced the first 15-watt Qi-compliant wireless charging technology Monday, opening the way for wireless charging of larger mobile devices including tablets, large-format smartphones and portable industrial and medical equipment. The 15 watt wireless transmitter and receiver ICs charge tablets that have higher capacity batteries than smartphones, while also enabling faster charging of smaller form factor devices by delivering higher power, Freescale said. The technology supports the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi standard and the Power Matters Alliance standard, the company said. It includes two 15 watt ICs: the WPR1516 receiver chip and accompanying MWCT1012 transmitter chip.